In what could be a preview of Sunday's Oscars telecast, "12 Years a Slave" scored big at Saturday's Spirit Awards ceremony, the independent film world's equivalent of the Oscar.

"Slave" won five Spirit Awards, including best screenplay for Mequon native John Ridley, who is also nominated for an Oscar. "Slave" is based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War South. | March 1, 2014»Read Full Blog Post(1)

Eau Claire — An Eau Claire native will be in the crowd at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, but he will have already won an Oscar this year.

Peter W. Anderson was honored Feb. 15 at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' Scientific and Technical Awards, according to The Leader-Telegram. He was given the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for "technological contributions that have brought credit to the industry." | March 1, 2014»Read Full Article

Regardless of whether Helen's face truly launched 1,000 ships and started the Trojan War, there's no denying that Jim DeVita's first slump-shouldered sigh, early in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's production of "An Iliad," speaks at least 1,000 despairing words about the never-ending aftermath.

Can one blame him? Catapulted through a back door and onto the stage by a blinding force — call it fate, or history — DeVita appears before us as the never-named Poet, and it's clear as he looks around that it's déjà vu all over again. | March 1, 2014»Read Full Article(2)

Laugh it away

If laughter could cure ovarian cancer, the collaboration of the Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance and ComedySportz over the last 12 years would have made it a thing of the past. But it can't, though money can help. So the two groups are again putting on "Comedy for a Cause." Let's hope the 13th annual laugh-riot does the trick. It will take place Thursday at 5:30p.m. at American Serb Hall, 5101 W. Oklahoma Ave. The evening begins with a buffet dinner followed by a raffle drawing. Then ComedySportz takes over with family oriented entertainment. The evening isn't over until all auction items are sold. Tickets are $35 and $5 for children ages 5-8 (younger children are welcome for free). The donation of a nonperishable food item gets the givers an extra raffle ticket. | March 1, 2014»Read Full Article